I Love You
by Kelisidina
Summary: Although Aki tries to suppress her feelings for Yusei, he won't give up on her. No matter what pain and suffering occurs or how strong an enemy he should face. Faithshipping. Yusei x Aki.
1. Chapter 1

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

**  
**

Yusei Fudo opened his eyes hesitantly, fearing the sting of the white light directed on his eyes. He was in Neo Domino City's most prestigious hospital, but he really didn't care about that right now. He winced as pain shot through his right arm, which was wrapped in a bandage connected to his neck.

'So are you feeling any better?' Aki Izayoi asked him sweetly.

'God, no.' He grumbled in response.

'Would you like anything? Rua and Ruka are sleeping. Jack went to the cafe for some coffee. I'm sure he'll bring you some. After all, it's 1:00 in the morning.'

The wounded Signer smirked mockingly. 'And you've been here for _how_ long exactly?'

'W-well, actually I don't know. I fell asleep a few hours ago.' She turned her head to the side, attempting to hide her face from him. Her efforts were futile, since he saw the delicate spread of crimson on her cheeks.

'I never knew you cared so much.' It was a joke. A supposedly harmless, meaningless joke. But even a blind man would be able to see that it had hit a nerve.

'Of course I do. I.. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be hurt like this! If I had been more careful during my duel with Misty, you wouldn't have had to jump in and save me! This is all my fault. I'm so sorry. I was never of any use to you. From the moment we met up to now, I've done nothing but hurt you. I want to help you, but I can't. I want to make it up to you, but I just don't know how! Maybe it's because I haven't been thinking about how to serve the rest of the Signers... It's because I've been thinking of how to serve _you_!'

Her eyes started glazing over, and he could see that she was about to cry. He hated himself for being so overconfident in thinking that he had finally stopped her suffering. But he was wrong. Every second of every minute of every day, she was suffering. And it was all because she wanted to please him.

He wanted to say something, to give her words of encouragement and friendship, but 'Aki...' was all that came out of his mouth.

'I want to make it up to you.' She repeated, facing him at last with tears streaming down her face.

'_But what can I ask for?'_ he thought miserably.

'There is _one_ thing I've always wanted, but I couldn't seem to be able to get it.' He admitted, his expression thoughtful and pondering.

'Sure.' She replied, wiping her tears away and smiling pleasantly. 'You can ask me for anything.'

He simply nodded, debating within himself.

_Can I really ask her for this?_

'So what is it?'

_Can I really ask for something so selfish?_

'CD's, clothes?'

_Is it so wrong?_

'A book, some tires?'

_To want to love someone..._

'God, it's a computer chip isn't it?'

_... and to __**want**__ someone?_

'Come on, what is it?'

_Doesn't she want that too?_

'No, it's ...'

_What am I doing?_

'You. Just you.' He finally answered.

The powerful psychic duelist suddenly stopped smiling, her expression turning 360 degrees. She frowned in confusion, her heart threatening to punch through her chest. 'What was that?'

'I said I want you. You're all I want.'

'Don't make jokes like that! Really ...' she laughed. But it was evident that she didn't believe it was a joke.

'It's not a joke.'

'Yusei, please.'

'I'm telling the truth. I want you. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, have children with you, have a family with you ...'

'Yusei ...'

'... Just like I've always dreamed of.' He finished.

'Don't do this.' She whispered before he kissed her lightly on the lips, his tongue gently finding its way to her willing mouth.

_I can't. I'll only hurt him._

'Aki. Aki. Aki.' He chanted over and over in between kisses. His free hand cupped her face. Suddenly, his pain seemed to go away. The pain in his arm, and the pain in his heart-the pain of losing so many friends, the pain of dreaming of someone he thought he could never be with.

'Stop.' She choked, her voice small.

He obeyed, searching her eyes from any other emotion than the one that was displayed-pain.

'I can't do this. I can't be with you. I can't love you.' She said as her tears started flowing yet again. She stood up and ran out of the room, pressing her fist against her heart.

'Why?' he asked, even if she was no longer in the room.

* * *

A/N: I don't own 5D's or any of its characters. This is a story I prepared for a contest n Janime. I hope to finish it before submission. I hope you guys like the story and continue reading on until the final chapter of this story and to support Yusei and Aki all throughout! Read and review please. :D


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

**  
**

'Jesus.' Jack Atlas muttered as Aki whizzed past him, nearly making him drop the two cups of coffee he was holding. 'Watch where you go, damnit!' he called after her.

Despite his cold and arrogant aura, the blonde was concerned about her. She had a horrible childhood, deprived of love and warmth. Having somewhat experienced that himself, his heart -yes, he has one -always had a soft spot for people like her.

'What on God's green Earth is her problem?' he demanded from no one in particular after he literally kicked the door to Yusei's ward open.

'Is it wrong to love someone?' Yusei asked, ignoring Jack's question.

'What did you say?'

'I confessed my feelings to Aki. And she... she treated it as though it were a crime. Is it so wrong?! Damn it, I can tell she loves me too, so why?!' The Signer leader practically screamed, banging his free fist on the bedside table.

'How do you _know_ that she loves you? Stop deluding yourself and face it! She doesn't feel the same way! Now if that's _not_ the answer you want to hear, then too bad! But this is reality, Yusei-you can't have everything! God, you can be such a retard'

'But she didn't tell me she didn't love me.'

'What?'

'All she told me was that she _can't_ love me. She never told me that she didn't love me.' As he said these words, the handsome Satellite bred man seemed to analyze his own words.

_She can't? What does she mean by that?_

'Ok, that's it.' He continued, slipping his jacket on and heading down the long corridor.

'Where the hell are you going?!' Jack called.

'I'm going to see Aki. I need to know what she meant by "I can't love you".' He called back before jumping on his D-Wheel and riding off into the distance.

* * *

'Aki!' he called, pulling up on the curb beside her.

'Stop following me, Yusei.' She responded, her voice cold and harsh.

'Tell me why you can't love me.' He demanded, ignoring her command. He stood up from his vehicle and stood in front of her, lifting her face to look her directly in the eyes.

Longing filled her heart as he touched her face, memories of their shared kisses flooding her head. She almost laughed at the irony. Here he was, the man she loved, practically throwing himself in front of her. And she would hurt him in the most painful and merciless way possible.

'Aki, tell me why you can't love me.'

'I just can't. I don't want to love you. Stop this. Please.' She managed to get out, her voice shaky and small.

'I won't leave you alone. Not until I hear you say that you don't love me. Tell me you don't love me. Tell me I mean nothing to you.' His voice started getting louder and louder, hiding his own sadness and longing. He loved her and he was sure she felt the same way. So... why? 'I love you, Aki Izayoi. I would give up my life for you. I'll protect you. I promise to make you happy. I love you, so please...' he added.

'How can you, when all you bring me is pain?!' she screamed. 'Everyday, it hurts to be with you! You're always so, so... _human_. It's sickening! You claim to understand how I feel, but you just don't! Being an outcast because you're from Satellite is different from being an outcast because you're a _witch_!'

This seemed to take him aback. 'I thought that you didn't... feel that way anymore.'

'See?! You never understood me! Stop this _now_! _I don't love you, you mean nothing to me, so go away_!'

'Is this all I am, then?! A _nuisance_ to you?!' he snapped back.

She laughed. A hoarse, throaty laugh. She finally stared him directly in the eyes, honey brown meeting cobalt blue. '_Nuisance?_ You really think you even count as _that_ much?'

The handsome youth looked as though he'd been slapped, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. Several emotions spread through his features; anger, humiliation and lastly, hurt. For the longest time, he simply stared at her.

'What is it that you want?' he asked. 'Right now, what do you want more than anything in the world?'

'I want you to disappear.' She answered, even though she was openly crying in front of him, hiccupping and sobbing uncontrollably.

'My feelings for you haven't changed, Aki. I still love you and would do anything for you.'

Then, without warning, he kissed her. This time, she responded with an intensity that frightened even herself. The rain started, but they didn't mind. It was a wordless gesture; a parting of sorts. Even though they both knew that they loved each other more than anyone in the world, she had made it clear that she didn't want to be with him... _couldn't_ be with him, for reasons she had not told him yet.

'I love you.' He whispered before reluctantly letting go of her and riding off in his D-Wheel.

Yusei turned back, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her. Tears ran down her face and she was covering her mouth, her eyebrows furrowed. Of course, he wasn't sure if she was really crying or if it was just the rain.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so weird! I couldn't think of how to elaborate it any other way. I'm surprised I got reviews when it was only the first chapter. I was expecting to really suck and hit the ground, but you guys gave me confidence. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who faved this story and me as an author. I hope I can keep the intensity up! =D. Also, before you guys get mad; Yusei and Aki WILL end up together in the end. But of course, the sweetest treat comes from the hardest labor. =D I hope all of you support me and this story till the end! =D

Also, I'm sorry if I made any mistakes. I'm really new at this and it's m first fic. ^_^; I'm not very good, but I'm happy if you guys like it anyway. =D

Oh, and please forgive my friends aka You know who I am... and EELEEESE or whatever. ^_^; especially the latter, since she's very.. umm... fun-loving? XD;

Thanks so much!


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

**  
**

As tough as one's exterior is, no one really knows what's going on inside one's heart. At this moment, Aki is a perfect example.

As soon as Yusei could no longer be seen, the heartbroken lady had rushed to her room and slammed the door shut behind her. She was covering her mouth, trying to fight back the sick bile that threatened to spew out any minute. Too weak to move, she simply threw herself on the bed, burying her face in her pillow as she cried her heart out.

'_This is for the best.'_ She kept telling herself. _I love him. Oh, how I love him. But I can't. He'll never be happy with me! I'm no good. I've done so many horrible things. And these powers... if I didn't have them, maybe he could be happy with me. This is for his own sake. If I really love him, I should give up my own happiness for him.'_

She just wanted to disappear, to be forgotten. She hated herself for causing the man she loved so much pain, but she hated Yusei for loving her in the first place. She was always content to watch him from afar; to love him from afar. But now that she knew that her love for him was not unrequited, the pain of driving him away was enough to send her into a state of depression.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind of what had just happened during the last hour. In doing so, it was not long before sleep engulfed her.

After what seemed like decades, there was a knock on her door. She awoke to the loud sound, her thoughts groggy and her eyelids heavy.

'Come in.' She murmured.

'Aki!' her parents cried happily. It had been such a long time since she had come home to stay with them, especially now that she was eighteen. Often, young adults would instinctively seek independence.

'Papa? Mama?' she clarified, smiling a little despite her sadness.

Her father eagerly sat down beside her, stroking her magenta hair. 'Aki, we've missed you so much!'

She merely nodded in response, her breathing suddenly laboured and heavy. Her chest felt as though a snake was coiling around it, her already limp limbs growing weaker and weaker by the second. Cold sweat formed on the top layer of her skin as her whole body felt as though she were being burned alive at a stake. _'And maybe I deserve it.' _She thought bitterly.

'Aki? Is something wrong?'

'Papa...'

The busy senator placed his hand on top of her forehead, then pulled away as though he had touched hot iron. 'You're burning up!' he cried, his eyes wide and questioning.

As twisted as it seemed, she simply laughed at the way her life turned around 180 degrees. She had finally become happy. And now, she was worse than when she had been with Divine. It wasn't hard to see that she had hit rock bottom.

'Dear, get some cold towels and call a doctor!' he commanded his wife.

With a worried expression on her aging features, she nodded and ran towards the living room. On her way out, she pulled out a cellphone, preparing to call a doctor and schedule an appointment right away.

He turned his attention back to his daughter. 'How are you feeling? What happened?'

'It hurts.'

_This is the one thing she asked of me._

'I hurt him.'

_This is what can make her happy._

'I said awful things to him. I lied to him, I made sure that he would hate me.'

_I can't believe I was so stupid as to believe that she was happy with me._

'Even after what I've done, I still long for him-his touch, his lips, his gaze, his scent.'

_But I can't give up the small hope that she still feels something for me._

'But I did what I had to do.'

_Because I love her._

'Because I love him.'

The sound of a collision rang, and the carefully assembled red D-Wheel was caught in between two trucks. The two men driving the trucks were unharmed and hurried over to where Yusei lay, bloody and injured.

'Oh my God, are you ok?!' an unfamiliar voice asked.

'Speak to me, boy!' a second voice followed.

Several people spoke at once, each demanding if he was ok, others calling an ambulance. Police sirens began to echo along with members of Security shoving away passers-by in order to clear the area. Small poles held together by yellow tape were set up around the vehicles. There was something written in the yellow tape, but his vision blurred.

'Papa, I can never be with him...'

There were so many voices; masculine, feminine, those of a child's and even those of the elderly. But none belonged to that of the voice he so wanted to hear. None of them had that determined yet somewhat innocent sound come out of their lips.

'But being apart from him is torture!'

'Aki...' he whispered, perhaps for the last time, before losing consciousness.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry this was so short! TT_TT The end of this chapter was kinda crappy and it wasn't as intense as the other two. ^_^; But if you didn't get it; Yusei got into an accident. Was it on purpose? Will he live? :D Also, sorry this chapter is so boring //; This is supposed to be more of a preparation for the next chapter. And the next two chapter after that will be preparation too. ^_^; Read and review please!


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

**  
**

Aki paced the hospital's corridor back and forth. She had just finished her appointment with her doctor. Apparently, she had caught a mild case of pneumonia and would be expected to rest in bed for a while, along with taking a few medications.

You usually caught pneumonia if you were out in the rain, and she blushed a bit whenever she remembered what _did_ happen between her and a certain Satellite raised man.

But she had refused him.

She never knew such sadness could exist. The irony of it was that_ she_ had caused this. _She _had hurt him. _She_ had detached herself from him. It had all been _her_ choice.

And she regretted every moment of it.

'People, please get _out_ of the _way_!'

_Is what I'm doing right?_

'Move, _now_.'

_I had my one chance at happiness._

'Out of the way, for the love of God and all that is holy!'

_And I blew it-perhaps for him as well._

Her thoughts were interrupted as several nurses rushed past her. She peeked at the patient, her eyes growing wide with horror. Even under all the blood, she recognized his face. She could identify it anywhere.

'No! Stop, where are you taking him?!'

'Ma'am, I'm sorry but we need to get going to the emergency room.'

On impulse, she ran towards the direction where they were headed. The snake coiled around her aching heart tightened, making it impossible to move. But she forced herself to make use of her limp legs and weak arms, desperately trying to catch up with them.

'Yusei!' she cried, throwing her arms around his neck, the nurse crew stopping abruptly and exchanging looks or aggravation and sympathy.

His usual scent of peppermint was replaced with that of blood and copper. His warm, tan skin was cold and pale with black bags under his eyes. His face, usually wearing an expression of determination and slight indifference, showed nothing but intense pain.

_I did this._

'Aki...'

_I did this._

'Please, Yusei... don't disappear, not like this! Don't go. I was lying, I was stupid, I was only thinking of _you_!'

_I did this._

'Ma'am, I'm sorry but we need to get going.'

_I did this_.

With that, the life-saving crew moved once more, opening the doors to the Emergency Room.

_This is all my fault. I told him to disappear. I told him to go away. How stupid can I be?!_

Aki wanted to cry. She really did. But the tears wouldn't come. Tentatively, she ran her fingers under her eyes.

She had finally run out of tears.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The distressed psychic had been chewing on her nails nervously for the past three hours. Upon seeing the surgeon responsible for Yusei step out of the Emergency Room, she approached him warily, asking how the patient was doing.

'He has a 50/50 chance of survival.' He replied. 'At his current state, we can't tell whether he'll live or not. He lost a lot of blood and some of his injuries cut to the bone. Also, prior to the collision, he had a fractured arm so his body is very delicate right now.'

'I see.' She looked down once more.

He took a deep breath. 'You're Aki, aren't you?'

Expecting to be made fun of and chased out of the hospital, she nodded stiffly. This usually happened; people asking if she was the feared Black Rose Witch before snickering or perhaps giving a sharp cry of fear. She had tried to get used to it, but humans can be such cruel creatures at times.

'Well, he was calling your name all throughout the surgery. Well, at least before I knocked him out with the anaesthesia. According to my assistants, he even chanted your name over and over while being rushed over here. You must be very important to him.'

Upon hearing this, fresh tears streamed down her face. Wrapping her arms around herself, she tried to stop the flow. But of course, it was all in vain.

All this time, she thought that Yusei's back was all she ever saw of him. She was never really one of his priorities. But now she realized that he was calling her towards him, starting from their duel at the Fortune Cup tournament. Even when all that existed to her was Divine and nothing more, he continuously called her name, beckoning her towards him. Even when she had deliberately caused him injury. Even when she pushed him away time and time again, refusing any other man but Divine.

But still she couldn't. What future could he have with a witch like her? What happiness could she offer him?

She was no good; she couldn't cook, she couldn't clean and she definitely had no patience. So why her?

'You can see him now, if you'd like.'

She couldn't tell whether the surgeon had said those words, or simply a voice deep inside the darkest recesses of her consciousness. She felt like she was in a trance, walking towards the room in which he lay. She knew she had to at least give him the truth; tell him how she truly felt and maybe even explain why they could never be.

Even if he couldn't hear her.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: I'm sorry this sucked! I mean, more than usual. ^_^; The story is definitely not yet finished; there will be more chapters. =D Again, you can definitely expect a happy ending.

Let me take this time to thank my supporters. ^_^ *Bows* Thank you to the author faves, the story faves, alerts and the reviews I have received thus far. Thanks so much for everyone's critique. =D

Also, I highly recommend the authors Lucarly and Saq(insert complicated numbers here). They both have really sweet and uplifting stories, though Saq's are a bit more smexy and Lucarly's are more romantic. xD

Also, I would like to clarify that JackxCarly is NOT Scoopshipping; It's Retributionshipping =|

Thanks to everyone! Read and Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

**  
**

'Yusei...' Aki whispered as she held his hand in hers. She took a while to caress his face, running her fingers lightly over his eyelids, cheeks, lips, trailing them like butterfly kisses.

'You're such an idiot.' She continued, her voice choking from the effort of holding back her tears. It truly was interesting; she had cried more in the last few hours than she had in her entire life. 'It's true that I said I wanted you to disappear. But it was a lie.

'You can't go now. You can't just leave me without letting me tell you how I really feel. The simple truth is that I can't be happy without you. I don't know what I'd do without you.

'I love you.'

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_I love you_

That was the last thing Yusei Fudo heard before he emerged from the darkness. His eyes suddenly opened, expecting the source of the voice to be there.

It was a sweet voice; sad yet determined. As if that person were telling a secret that he or she had been bearing for a long time.

He still clung to the hope that she would be there. That she would come back to him, willing to love him in return. Some might call him a hopeless dreamer and maybe it was true. But the feelings he had for her continued to pull on his heartstrings like a child playing with puppet strings; he being the puppet and the child being the feeling of love. He couldn't rid himself of the direction the child was pushing him towards. He could free himself. But without the child, he wouldn't be able to continue moving and going forward. Without the love he felt towards her, he wouldn't be able to remain as happy as he was, even if that love remained unrequited.

But no one was in the room except for him.

'Damn Yusei, always getting sent to the motherfucking hospital.' Jack muttered as he took a seat beside Aki, offering her a cup of coffee. She shook her head, not really feeling like replacing the taste of her shared kiss in the rain with the said man with the bitter taste of ground beans.

The tall blonde sighed heavily and set the cup on the floor before opening his mouth to speak, 'I'm starting to feel like I'm wasting my money. None of you assholes ever drink the damn beverages I buy.'

He waited for a reaction, any reaction. He didn't care whether she laughed or even got mad, so long as she responded. But nothing happened. She just continued to stare at the linoleum floor of the cafe.

'Look, I know you're worried, but if there's one thing I know about crab head is that he's not going to die so easily.' He sighed. 'He always comes through. You should know that better than anyone.'

Her eyes seemed to glaze over for a while before replying, 'I know.'

'Then why are you so glum?'

'I'm not glum. I'm depressed; there's a difference.'

'Then why are you depressed?'

'Because I'm stuck here with you.'

His lips twitched. 'Bitch.'

'Jack, make me a promise.'

This seemed to grab hold of his attention. Never before had he been asked to make a promise. And being asked to do so by the seemingly cold Aki Izayoi was like an honor of sorts. 'Of course.'

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him.

His mouth opened slightly, his eyes widening as well. Never before had he seen her eyes filled with so much sorrow and pain-not even when her father and mother appeared before her eyes after horribly mistreating her or even when she remembered Divine's death.

'Promise me that you'll never tell Yusei that I visited him while he was comatose.'

* * *

'So you're the new King, right?' asked the female nurse who was currently in charge of him.

He simply nodded, not really feeling like making chitchat. The anaesthesia had worn off, pain shooting through several parts of his body. His mouth was swollen from the debris that found its way in and his already previously fractured arm was due for a second surgery later on. No one in their right mind would feel like chatting.

'Did a woman come here to visit me?' But even through the pain, he couldn't stop himself from asking that question.

The nurse, who was probably no more than twenty, looked thoughtful for a while. In the end, she simply shook her head and smiled apologetically.

He couldn't hide his disappointment. But for some reason, he still believed that she had come to see him in his time of need. Again, he still clung to the hope that was slowly tearing him apart. Hope that he was starting to think was really just a fantasy; perhaps what Jack was saying was true. He needed to know when to let go.

'Umm... I really like... I mean, I admire your dueling.' The shy nurse, who was probably no more than twenty, continued. 'I happen to be the niece of an American Pro Duelist manager. He's impressed by you too-I can tell. I'm going back to America next week. If you'd like, you can come with me free of charge. If you accept him as your manager, not only will you be able to duel several notorious duelists here in Neo Domino City, but even ones from Europe!'

He thought about it for a while. It had always been his dream to duel with challenging opponents. If he remained King in Neo Domino City, people would still only regard him as Satellite scum. But if he went abroad...

But what about Aki? Yes. What _about_ Aki? She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. And perhaps it's time to move on. He couldn't go back to dreaming about a woman he could never have-the pain was more than he had expected, especially after she had so cruelly rejected him.

He was still in love with her-there was no doubt about that. It was unconditional love, the kind that one can experience only once. But even so, he couldn't just be stuck on it his whole life.

'So? How about it?'

'Sure.' he started. 'Why not?'

* * *

A/N: I have nothing to say. X_X Thanks so much for everyone's support once again! Read and review please!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The pain and anaesthesia left Yusei unconscious throughout the whole night for the duration of his stay in the hospital. During this period, Aki would stay by his side, holding his hand and thinking about what could have been.

She would smile a little, pleased that he was well on his way to recovery. There were rumours going around that he would be discharged in three days. This was good news to her, even though the two were not exactly in good terms.

Knowing that the night would pass by quickly, she would rest her head on his chest, losing herself in his steady breathing while she could.

The week passed by just as fast as the nights had.

Throughout the entire seven days, Aki had religiously visited him while he was asleep and Jack had solemnly kept his promise, even when Yusei asked him over and over whether she had visited him or not. Jack had just received news that he knew would simply devastate Aki. But he knew he had to tell her, for today was the day. The day in which Yusei must leave.

'Fuck it.' He muttered under his breath when Aki had once again refused the coffee he had wholeheartedly bought.

'I don't like coffee-get it through your thick head.' She sighed. 'And besides; why did you call me here?'

He sat down in front of her, burying his face in his hands. 'I honestly don't know how you'll react to this.'

'Just tell me.'

'It's hard. You've been a bit happier recently; knowing that that idiot would be fine. I don't want to push you back into your previous state.'

The feeling of dread built up in the pit of her stomach. First off, it had to be something big for this guy to care. Second, it had to be something even bigger for the arrogant former King to have a hard time saying it. 'Jack...' she managed, clutching the edge of the wooden seat and steeling herself for what may come.

'Yusei is leaving for America.'

* * *

Rua and Ruka were upset that he was leaving. Hell, they even cried. But he promised them that they would meet again because they were friends and because of the bonds they shared. Jack appeared indifferent towards it, but that man was always putting up a front. He knew they'd miss each other. They were, after all, the best of friends.

And about _her_...

Well, he wasn't exactly sure what Aki's reaction would be. He was, however, pretty sure she'd be relieved. This was what she'd wanted after all; for him to disappear from her life forever, never to meet, never to speak, never to love.

Over and over, the handsome Signer tried to convince himself that she was just suppressing her feelings. But he was beginning to question himself.

At any rate, it didn't matter. He'd be gone soon. She'd be happy about that.

Wouldn't she?

'Yusei!'

He turned toward the voice, recognizing the deep, feline-like tone. He thought that perhaps it was Aya, and he was simply deluding himself into thinking that it was- 'Aki...'

She stopped as soon as she was in front of him, panting and trying to catch her breath. It would seem like she was trying to catch up with him before his departure. Or perhaps he was just going back to his fantasy world? With so much crap going on, he could no longer tell.

And at this point, he honestly didn't care anymore.

'Why are you here? Have you come to shackle me yet again?'

'No, Yusei... I just wanted to see for myself. If you were truly leaving, I mean.'

'Yes. I am.'

She looked up at him pitifully, her eyebrows slanted down in surrender and her eyes glazing over. 'And you... weren't going to say goodbye?' she asked, her voice surprisingly small and shaky.

'Why should I?' he demanded coolly, his voice cold and harsh. 'Isn't this what you wanted? For me to disappear from your life forever? To never see me again, to never hear my voice? Why should I waste my efforts trying to give you what you want for a simple goodbye? If I did, I'd be talking to you then, wouldn't I?'

'Yusei, wait, that's not what I-'

'You're supposed to be rejoicing right now; probably laughing with joy.'

'Please don't say that, that's not tr-'

'Oh right. My speaking to you torments you, doesn't it? My voice disgusts you, doesn't it?'

'Please listen, I-'

'Aren't you happy?'

A long silence followed. It was true. She had told him that to never see him again would be pure bliss. To never be reminded of him. She had to remind herself that she was doing this for his own sake. Even if it hurt, it was all for him.

'Yes.' She finally replied. 'That's actually what I came here for-to thank you for leaving. I'm really happy that I'm ridding myself of you.'

'Good.' Was his own reply, his tone still cold. 'Then I can rest in peace, knowing that I've at least given you some compensation for helping in the fight against the Dark Signers. I've repaid it-my debt to you.'

She looked at the floor, refusing to meet his gaze. This is what must be done. What future can he have with her? He was smart, good looking and kind. He didn't deserve to be degraded to her level. But she needed to ask him something.

They stayed like that for a long time, him staring down at her with cold and indifferent eyes, she refusing to meet his gaze. 'Before we part... Would you please answer just one question?'

He nodded, maintaining his icy composure.

'The accident... Did you do it on purpose?'

* * *

A/N: Yep. She said it. =D This chapter was a bit weird, but I hope you guys can understand why. ^_^; Thanks again to everyone for putting up with my craziness!

I'm glad you guys found the chapters so far to be intense. =D

Now I'm going to give a little spoiler; Most likely, the next chapter is when Aki will finally confess. If not, then it's near! 8D

Read and Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

**  
**

Yusei stiffened as he heard her words. Could she have known all along?

'Yusei... please!' she begged. 'Answer me; did you or did you not plan the accident?'

The cornered youth contemplated his answer. Denying it seemed futile. Aki was always a perceptive woman and would definitely not stop until he admitted into doing so. Already there seemed to be a mutual understanding between the two that he _did_ do it on purpose. But on the other hand, if he told the truth, he was sure she would blame it all on herself. Even though she wanted him to disappear, he was sure she wouldn't want to cause him harm.

'What's it to you?' he retorted, finally deciding to do neither.

'Stop evading the question! Just answer me!'

'Why would you even care?!' he snapped back, his voice growing louder and louder. 'It was _you_ who told me to disappear. Why would you be concerned about me?!'

'Wait, stop! At that time, I-'

'Or perhaps you're _upset_ that the collision didn't_ kill_ me!'

'No! That's-'

'Are you here to give me your _own_ plans for my _death_?!'

'Stop!' she begged over and over, feeling as though she might burst into tears right in front of him. She didn't like being accused of doing such a thing, even if she did bring it upon herself. She didn't like it at all.

'It should mean _nothing _to you, because _I'm_ nothing to you!'

'That's not true!'

'Then what _is_ the truth?!' he demanded, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. A week ago, whenever he pulled her close to him, his face would show nothing but love. But now, at this moment, his face showed nothing but irritation and anger.

Anger towards her.

'I... I can't say.' She replied, turning her head to the side. She could bear looking at his face, not when his features showed such, such... _hate_.

'I love you so much, Aki.' He whispered. 'I only tried to give you what you wanted. But now I know that it isn't right to give you such guilt. Not when you've suffered too much already. I'm going to America. But I can still call it off. I want to remain here to protect you and the others. But I know that the main reason I have is because I don't want to be apart from you. But if separation is what you want, then that's what I'll give.'

'No. That's _not_ what I want.'

'Then what is it that you do? You once told me that for me to go away is what you crave for more than anything. And now, you deny all of it. I need to know the truth. Aki, tell me the truth. Tell me what you want... And I'll give it.'

She didn't respond. A long silence followed, a wall of sadness and longing separating the two.

'In the darkness.' He started, leaning in towards her to whisper in her ear. 'I heard a voice. It was _your_ voice. Every night, that melodious voice was like music to my ears and before I would wake up, I would hear it say three words. Three syllables. But those words... those syllables, those letters... were what kept me going. It's what kept me _alive_.'

She faced him just then, her eyebrows slanted down and her eyes searching. Searching for what? He couldn't tell and to be frank, she didn't exactly know what either. 'I'm a witch. I'm a black rose; wilted and rotten, without importance or use of any kind. My existence is just a burden in this world; a world filled with beautiful, red roses. I'm the only outcast. I-'

'You're wrong.' He interrupted. 'You're not rotten, you're not wilted. A black rose... is just a rose so red that it appears black. It's a rose so beautiful, so deep that it appears to be different. In a way, it is. In a way, you are. You're the most lovely and astonishing woman I've ever met. Your eyes, your lips, your hair, your skin and even your figure put all others to shame. You have powers that only a select few have, and even then they are no match against you. But you can control these powers, and these things are what make you special.'

'They make me special in the _wrong_ way. People don't like what they see in me; a horrible woman who likes to inflict pain upon others. And that's why I can't be with you. I don't want you to look at me that way. I don't want you to look at me with those eyes!' she cried as tears fell down. She examined the handsome man's features, trying to see a reaction; any reaction.

He looked at her with sad, cobalt blue orbs. All this time, their intentions were the same. Neither wanted the other to suffer, neither wanted the other to live with pain and misery.

'Aki, I didn't know you could be so _stupid_.' He said, his tone husky, looking at her and ensuring that she was looking at him. 'When I look at you, I see _you_.'

He buried her face in his neck and held her trembling form. He thought he heard her say 'Thank you.' as he felt a smile form on her lips. 'Please tell me the truth. I need to know. What is it that you want? I'll do anything-anything at all, just for you. So please, tell me the truth.'

He heard her gulp nervously, watching her remove her head from his neck and looking at him with eyes full of emotion. 'You want the truth? Ok. It's time you knew.'

'Aki?' he questioned, confused and excited at the same time.

'I love you, Yusei Fudo.'

* * *

A/N: Yeah, here's my crapaliciousness come alive. =V Anyway, yay she said it! 8D

Thanks again for everyone's support towards this story and to me! Also, thanks to the people who supported me in my other story as well! Read and review please!


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

'You... love me?' Yusei asked disbelievingly, smiling widely and laughing a bit.

'Yes.' Aki clarified, blushing while pressing the side of her face to his collar bone and staring up at him from there in an attempt to hide. 'I just... wasn't sure what kind of future you would have with me._If_you want a future with me.' She added.

'What makes you think I don't want one?'

'You know, one day, you might finally realize that we really don't go well together. You might realize how insignificant I really am. If anything, I just make things worse. I can't do anything a wife should be able to do. There's nothing I can offer you.'

He held her tighter as he heard her voice waver a bit. She was thinking about how to serve him, but why couldn't she understand that that's not what he's after?

'Aki.' He started. 'I don't care if you can't do any of those things. I don't want to love you because I need your companionship. I want your companionship because I love you. It doesn't matter; I'm not asking you to be a housewife. I just want to be able to bring a smile on your beautiful face.'

'Are you aware that I'm not a normal human being?'

'Yes.'

'Are you aware that I can kill you one day?'

'Yes.' Was his reply, tightening his grip on her.

'So then why?'

'You're so dense; It's because I love you.'

They stayed like that for a while, him feeling the warmth of her body, her listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. In a sudden movement, she pulled away from him and clasped his hand in hers, pressing his to her chest. 'We have the same rhythm when our hearts beat, don't we? So why aren't we the same...?'

'Because no two people are the same.' He murmured somewhat sadly, dragging her other hand to his criminal marker.

It was a mutual understanding that finally made her understand. He was suffering too. He was suffering because he was treated as a criminal, despite having only the best of intentions. Just like how she was suffering because she was treated as witch.

'I'm happy, Aki. Happy that you love me despite my being a criminal; you were able to see through that and look at me as a person. But then all the more you should understand that I'll love you no matter what. I don't see you as a witch; I see you for you.'

Tears of happiness formed in her eyes, and she shed them willingly. It was such a relief, such a big load taken from her shoulders.

'Aki...' he started once more, kissing her wrists. 'Will you marry me?'

'On one condition.' She smiled.

He, too, was relieved and happy. He simply couldn't stop himself from laughing. 'I'll do anything.'

'_You_ be the one to tell Papa about us.'

* * *

'So what are your plans now?' Aki asked, lying on the grass beside him, her right hand on his chest.

After everything that had occurred, the following afternoon, Yusei was emotionally and even physically exhausted. No, not in _that_ way. Apparently, this was the place wherein he would go whenever he was too tired to think or act on anything. It was a hill, something surprising to see in Neo Domino City. But there was a change of heart in Godwin after the 5000 year old fated battle, and he was much more open to landscaping and small bodies of water around the place, especially since the bridge connecting it to the Satellite was nearly finished. He wanted to wow the natives.

'I'm going to stay with you.' He started, playing idly with her magenta hair.

'That's hardly stating all your plans.' She complained.

'Fine then. You really want to know?'

'Would I be asking if I didn't?'

'Alright, I'll tell you; I'm going to propose to you, wait for your answer, then plan from there on out.'

She poked him lightly in the ribs, fully aware that he was fooling around with her. He had proposed to her last night and she had accepted. So what the hell was he talking about? 'Don't fuck with me Yusei.'

He cocked an eyebrow suggestively at her. 'I know. We didn't do anything last night, did we? What's more, we agreed that we'd reserve that for when you're wearing that cute little wedding gown.'

Embarrassed and outraged, she glared at him. He chuckled once, maybe twice, before trailing his lips over her eyelids and responding, 'I'm going to get you a ring with the money I won during the Fortune Cup, deal with your crazy-ass father, talk to a manager about my Pro Dueling Career, prepare the papers for Matrimony, all the while making you the happiest woman on Earth.'

She didn't respond. She hated it when he toyed with her, though it amused even herself. 'What about America?'

'That nurse got pissed.' he grumbled, glaring at her. 'And it's all your fault.'

'I wasn't the one who accepted.'

'Well it took you a hell of a long time to finally say you love me.'

'Because I'm not easy.' She teased.

They both laughed softly, lost in their own little world.

'It feels nice.' She continued. 'To be like this. Like now.'

'I'll love you forever, Aki.'

'And I to you.'

* * *

A/N: This story's mood turned 360 degrees xD. The next chapter will be very sad again lol. ._.; No way am I ending it here. ._.;

Thanks to everyone who support me in my other stories as well-some familiar, some strange. .

Thanks to everyone who continue to support me up to this day! Thanks so much! Read and review please!


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

**  
**

'Aki, are you sure you're going to be ok?' Yusei asked his fiancé.

To this day, he was still uncomfortable with leaving Aki by herself. He always felt the need to be there for her, to protect her. But tonight, he needed to head to America in order to take care of a few things and of course, to jump start his career.

'I'll be fine.' She responded with a gentle smile. She was used to his protectiveness towards her. It assured her that everything was alright and it was one of her favourite traits about him.

'Aki.' He said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips against her neck. 'You are my treasure. Take care of yourself. I'll be back next week.'

* * *

Yusei had been gone for only two days, but already Aki missed him. She missed his warm eyes examining her, seeing through her almost painfully. She missed the feeling of his warm body embracing her ridiculously cold skin. She missed his strong, peppermint scent.

They had began living with each other for more than a month now, dealing with her father and his odd ways. They haven't had a single quarrel, and were quite content in each other's presence.

But now there was something that bothered her.

Ever since he left, and even a bit before that, she always felt like she was being watched. Not being watched in a way that would make her feel murderous intent, but in a way that made her feel self-conscious. Someone was watching her maliciously, dirty thoughts and intentions piercing her.

And that feeling surrounded her whole form right now.

Cautiously, she stepped out into the chilly night breeze. She folded her arms, containing what little warmth she had left inside of her.

'So you knew that I've been watching you?' a familiar, masculine voice called.

'Divine.' She addressed, turning towards him.

* * *

The young satellite-raised man woke up, dread building up in the pit of his stomach.

He was still tired from his flight; sixteen hours doing nothing but sitting was definitely not his cup of tea. He couldn't even sleep on the plane, for turbulence made it impossible. He didn't understand things like immigration or checking in. True, he had kept his cool about it; but inside he wanted to bite everyone's head off.

Black bags had now formed under his eyes, marring that perfect cobalt blue. He was once told by a very special person to him that his eyes were so welcoming, so warm. But now, he was positively sure that he looked anything but that.

But right now he didn't care about any of those things; something was happening that he didn't feel quite right about. Something is happening that would cause him anger and hate. Something is happening to the one he loves.

'How dare you leave me for a Signer, the servant of the evil Crimson Dragon.' A red-haired accused, banging her against the wall and tightening his grip on her throat.

'D-Divine..!'

She was scared. Even more scared than when her father had hit her. Even more scared than when she encountered the horrible Earthbound God Ccaryhua for the first time. Even more scared than when Yusei had nearly lost his life, with her to blame.

She clawed at his hands, only succeeding in producing fresh red marks around his knuckles and wrists. This aggravated him more. In response, he let go and grabbed her hair, turning her and pressing her face down on the floor.

'Why?!' he questioned, bringing his lips so close to her ear, she could feel his breath. 'Why?!' he asked again.

'You and I once walked the same path. But now I... I'm finally happy! I don't want to cause you pain, Divine. But you used me, _manipulated_ me! How can I ever trust you again?!'

'Do you really think you could escape me and live with it?! After everything I've done for you; give you shelter, water, food, _love_-'

'No!' she interrupted, surprising him and aggravating him further.

It was silent for a while, but it seemed like centuries. Time itself seemed to stop, no movement was made, no sound her. 'What did you say?' he finally whispered, pushing her down with all his strength.

'No.'

'What do you mean?' he pulled on her hair, raising her head uncomfortably and in a manner that was simply despicable.

'That's not true. You never loved me. Not once have you even _told_ me you love me. Your actions; lies. Your words; lies. Your intentions; even _those_ were lies!'

'How could you have known?' he whispered again.

'Please Divine.' She continued, ignoring his question. 'I've found someone I really love. Someone I want to be with, someone who will love me back! Please leave me alone.'

_What's going on?_

_How could she have known?_

_Aki... Is she alright?_

_How can she choose him over me?!_

_If anything happens to her..._

_I'll make it so that she suffers._

_If anyone touches her..._

_I'll make it so that she won't be able to breathe from the pain._

_I'll make that person pay._

_I'll make her mine._

_Even if it's a bloodbath._

* * *

_  
_

A/N: It isn't specified whose thoughts are whose; I did that on purpose. Meh, it's kinda obvious anyway xD. I hope you guys like this chapter, though the sweetness from last chapter turned sour quite quickly. xD Hmm... Now about pm's (I disabled them now), I'm not putting "Your Dad's Crazy" up again. I can't continue it, matching that mood with this. Comedy fics from my compilation of oneshots can be made because, well, I don't have to continue a certain story in that mood. That, and I'm also working on another fic. Please understand and cooperate.

I hope you guys can see the sentence sync at the end. See, both their sentences ended in: Even If It's A Bloodbath. :

"I'll Make That Person Pay, Even If It's A Bloodbath."

"I'll Make Her Mine, Even If It's A Bloodbath."

Thanks to everyone who support me to this day! I honestly am grateful to everyone. =) I didn't know I'd get this far with the chapters and all.

Read and review please!


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

**  
**

'Get up.' Divine commanded, standing up as the phone rang.

'Hello?' Aki answered weakly, trying her best to ignore the throbbing pain in between her legs, the dried blood coating her inner thighs. Even movement as minimal as reaching for the phone sent a sharp pain down her abdomen.

'Aki?' Yusei answered back, his voice full of concern and relief.

She felt her heart break. She couldn't bear to hear his voice; not now. Not now, when she had just been claimed as someone else's woman.

She was sure she looked simply filthy and disgusting; not much was left of her clothing; everything had been ripped forcefully away from her. Her pale, usually flawless skin was now nearly covered in red gashes and black bruises. Every part of her was exposed.

Every part of her had been claimed.

'Is everything ok? I just had this really strange feeling... that maybe...'

'Yusei, everything's ok. Don't worry about me.' she forced herself to say when Divine looked at her with threat in his eyes. They had spoken earlier, about what would happen if he knew. He'd kill Yusei, hang him in front of her...

'Are you sure? You sound... pained.'

'I just have a headache. I'll be fine, I just took some medicine.'

_Lies._

'I see.'

_After everything he's done for me..._

'Still, I would rather you have it checked.'

_Is this the only thing I can give him?_

'You are my treasure, Aki.'

_Lies?_

'I love you.'

_All lies?_

'I love you too.' She replied, remaining in her position, even as the loud beeping of the phone was all that could be heard.

The red-haired man knelt beside her, attempting to give her a kiss. She turned her head away, his lips grazing along her cheeks.

'Don't be like that.' He laughed mockingly. 'It didn't hurt _that_ much, did it? If I may say so myself, my little Jeanne D'Arc, I think you rather _enjoyed_ it.'

She shivered at his words, whimpering when he whispered nonsensical words in her ear. She had been told the same things by her fiancé, but hearing them from Divine out of all people..

No. He was no longer Divine. To her, Divine was just that; divine. He had taken her in, given her hope. Though his intentions were unforgivable, thanks to him, she believed in a better future. Even as she learned about everything he had been doing when she wasn't around, she still had so much gratitude left for him.

But that man she knew was no longer alive. He was gone, lost in jealousy and the pain of betrayal.

Why? What right did he have, taking all his suffering out on her? What right did he have, seeking vengeance upon her? What right did he have, when he never allowed her any of these things?

'Why?'

'Hmm?' he murmured, caressing her in certain areas she had always tried to cover.

'Why? What did I do to deserve this? Why are you doing this to me? Why would you do this?'

'I just came back to take what was rightfully mine.'

'I'm not yours, and I don't _want_ to be yours. I-!'

'Whether you like it or not.' He began. 'You're probably already carrying my baby.'

Her heart sank. 'That's...'

'Explain it to Yusei, then!' he laughed. 'How you _lied_ to him when he called, how _impure_ you are, how you have absolutely _nothing_ to offer him now!'

'Divine!' she choked as he positioned himself on top of her, tightening his hands around her bruised neck. She clawed at him, kicked him, forcing her body to work despite the pain. No more. She couldn't be damaged any further. He was right; what was there left to offer her loved one? If she was useless before, then she was nothing but a burden now. 'Are you going to kill me now?!'

He simply smirked at her, forcing his mouth on hers. She screamed and pressed her lips together, refusing to let him in. 'Of course not, _love_. Just making it so that he'll never even look at you again.'

'D-Divine....!'

'Quiet!' he snapped, tightening his group, no mercy in his eyes.

'S-stop...! I can't b-breathe!'

_Yusei...!_

Was it Divine's face? Was it Yusei's face? Or was it just a stranger's face? Whoever it was, she couldn't make it out as she fell into a cold, seemingly endless sleep.

* * *

Yusei wasn't convinced. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out what it was exactly. Her voice was small, scared. He had never heard her like that before.

Of course, he didn't know what was going on. He didn't know that his partner in life was being forced to be someone else's woman. He didn't know the incredible pain she was in, the excruciating agony that she was suffering from at this very moment.

But he did know one thing.

If anything happened to her, he'd make her oppressor pay with his life.

* * *

When she awoke, she felt as though she were seeing the world through someone else's eyes. It wasn't that the world was more depressing or happy; it just felt odd. Different. Incomplete.

Trembling from the effort, she propped up on her elbows and examined the room. She prayed to the gods that the one who had assaulted her was gone; and indeed her wish was granted.

Relieved, she leaned back into the wall, covering her eyes with her arms. What was this feeling inside of her? Emptiness, loneliness, sadness? She couldn't even tell. She just sat there, not moving, not speaking.

Not thinking.

Only breathing, only her quick, sharp breathing. Only her form, nothing inside. A shell.

She laughed, an innocent, heart laughter. She felt tears stream down her face, and this made her laugh even harder. She was like a child who had read something funny or had watched something amusing. What was she laughing at exactly? She didn't know either, but it just felt good to do so. It felt good to cry and mask it with her chuckles.

To hide from everything.

* * *

A/N: I jeopardized everything for a reason; the original story. This was planned from the beginning. Now if I can't retain the intensity in the story, that's my problem.

Hmm... I'm having trouble cleaning the chapters of this story, sorry about that. I'm working on a JackxCarly (Retributionshipping) fic, visit my profile for details on The Crossfire. Requests might take a while until this is finished too.

Also, you guys might think that this should be rated M. Mm, I checked and even asked some staff and it could pass for OT and T. So no flames about that please.

Thanks for the reviews guys! Waa~ Almost 100! Thanks so much!

Thanks again to everyone!

Read and review please!


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

'Welcome home, Yusei.' Aki said cheerfully, letting him kiss her.

'Is everything ok?' he asked, holding her in place and studying her for a bit. She seemed different now. She didn't gain weight or anything, but there was something off. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, so he let it slip. For now, at least. 'Had fun while I was gone?'

She twitched involuntarily. Memories of that night spent with the other man flooded her mind. He took everything she could offer, probably procreating in the process. She wanted her first time to mean something; she wanted it to be with Yusei, wanted it to fill her with emotions of love and passion, like her mother would say. She had heard that it was a beautiful experience, feeling open and vulnerable. But it didn't; it felt like she was trapped inside a room with walls closing in on her.

'Aki?'

'Huh? Oh, no. I missed you.' she replied, her voice shaking a bit.

He just smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her form and kissing her deeply.

She hated herself for the emotions she started feeling. She hated herself for her resentment towards Yusei; if he hadn't left, she might still have an ounce of dignity left in her. She might not have been violated, by those filthy hands. She might still have something left to offer him. When would she tell him? They were engaged, after all, and bound to get married sooner or later. He would have to take her, have his way with her and make her his. But she was already someone else's, she was Divine's. She wanted him to pay for what he did, but she had no way of knowing where he was.

A pang of pain pierced her chest as he continued with their contact, becoming more and more forceful. She wasn't accustomed to the way he was doing things. She was so used to his gentleness. Or perhaps it was the paranoia, the post-trauma of what had occurred nights before.

His hands no longer felt warm and welcoming; they were cold and stiff, holding her down like a prisoner. Lips that gave butterfly kisses now weighed her own. Feelings of relief and happiness that they shared so well with their past sessions now felt like punishment to her; a sentence worse than that of death; slavery.

But she went along with it, allowed him to do what he craved to do. The only consolation she had was that he had mentioned once before that he was the old-fashioned type; he wanted to wait until after they would be blessed with Holy Matrimony. She continued the act, because he was everything she could ever ask for, everything she wanted. She continued because she loved him and was determined to get over her fear for him; so that she may be able to accept him fully. But then he opened his eyes to gaze at hers, and he stopped what he was doing immediately. He stopped stroking her face, stopped tasting her.

Because he could see that his want was not her want.

But it was his turn to go along with it. He knew she wasn't exactly glad to see him, but he had not expected for her feelings to wilt away. Still, he wasn't aware of what she had experienced while he was gone. So he took it as a sign; a sign of resentment, a sign of unhappiness, a sign of her being so sick and tired of him. He would go along with it because he wanted to maximize his time with her, until the day comes wherein she throws him out like garbage. He almost laughed at the idea; how stupid of him to think that she ever loved him. Not when she had once already made it clear that she wasn't interested. Maybe she just felt sorry for him, maybe he was starting to tick her off. That's why she agreed to be his fiance, agreed to play as his supposed-to-be lover.

'Yusei?' she addressed him softly, unaware of his thoughts. She was already too trapped in her own.

'Mm?'

'Why did you stop?'

'I'm just... tired.' It wasn't a complete lie; he really was tired, his first time riding a plane. He didn't exactly find it enjoyable.

'Do you want me to make you anything? I tried cooking while you were gone. I'm actually not half bad at it.'

'No, I already ate. Thanks for the offer, though.'

A wall of silence formed between the two. Neither knew what to say to the other. Neither were sure about the situation at hand, or their relationship.

'I think I'll go for a walk.' he announced uncomfortably, heading towards the front door.

'You just arrived! I'm going with you.'

'Don't.'

She clutched her chest as he slammed the door, her intuition telling her that something was wrong. Did he know? Had he assummed something all on his own? She presumed it to be the latter; Yusei would never feel bitter because of someone else. It wasn't like she wanted to belong to anyone but him, to be taken by anyone but him. She loved Yusei Fudo, and only him. So then why was she lying to him? Why couldn't she just come out about what had happened during his absence?

With these thoughts, she poured herself a glass of water. Her head was pounding.

* * *

He let the negative emotions fade as he breathed in the fresh air. He was too tired to think, but this was Aki. He had only been gone seven days; what could have occurred? Maybe he was mistaken, maybe she felt nothing for him but pity. Like he was a dog begging for her attention.

But the thing is, he felt it. He felt her love towards him, and he knew he wasn't delusional. The wave of love he felt radiating from her when they touched, when they kissed, when they looked into one another's eyes; was it all just a misunderstanding? No, he knew the look in her eyes when they burned into his were that of a woman in love. But she didn't look at him that way a while ago. Why?

'Hey, you're Yusei Fudo, right? The King, and the man who has a witch for a girl?' a rather drunken looking man with a marker on his aged face said as he threw his arms around the sane one's shoulders.

'And what if I am?' was the muttered response.

'You must be a really good person, to forgive her like that.'

'What are you talking about?' he demanded, angry blue eyes narrowing as dread filled him.

'Oh come on, don't be so mean about it. Well yeah, I'd forgive my lady too if she was that hot. But hey, not everyone's a lucky son of a bitch like yourself.'

'_What are you talking about?_' he repeated, his voice growing louder and louder. This man was a good-for-nothing drunkard, he could tell. His gruff eyes were drooping, but not because of genetics; because of the eyelids. And he wasn't even Chinese. This screamed liver failure, caused by alcaholism. But he wasn't wasted, not now at least.

'You know, when she was with the older guy with the green eyes.'

_My head hurts._

'Yeah, he had red hair too.'

_Is this guilt?_

'And he just came after her like she was his breakfast.'

_But what have I done wrong?_

'And she was something else, too.'

_Where did my faith lie?_

The now tense young man looked the older one directly in the eyes. 'She?'

'Sure. She was screaming and wriggling under him; I didn't know she could be such a slut.'

'You dirty jerk.' he growled, grabbing his collar and dragging him closer. 'Aki would never do that. Don't talk about her like that, you have no right!'

'Easy there. Silent water runs deep.'

With that, the senile wretch snapped his phone open. He hummed to himself while he pressed some buttons. After what seemed like decades for Yusei, he shoved a camera-caught picture in his direction.

After studying the picture for a long time, the Satellite-bred man finally let go, gritting his teeth and heading back home with his heart full of anger.

* * *

A/N: Someone once reviewed: "I wonder how Yusei going to America will affect Aki." Well, it's going to be the opposite really. How will leaving Aki alone affect Yusei?

This is really common to relationships, no matter how good they seem; one partner always assumes, and blows their head off for a while. It's normal, and you can't blame them.

Meh, turn off my brain. TT_TT

Thanks everyone!

Read and Review please!


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

'Yusei.' Aki addressed him quite happily, a little nervously as well.

She had finally decided to tell him about her night with Divine; she hadn't done anything wrong, and she didn't want to hide any part of her from him. She wanted him to understand her feelings, and she had to have faith that he would understand. She didn't know why it was so hard, talking about something that had been forced upon you. But Yusei would accept her for her, accept everything about her. Even if she was impure. She was sure of it.

He didn't reply. Instead, he grabbed her by the front of her shirt, attempting to undo the buttons. Reflexively, she screamed and dug her nails into his arm, drawing blood. It was too much like how she had been treated several nights ago, it was too unlike Yusei. Frustrated and impatient, he simply tore the whole article of clothing off. Fresh tears began forming in her eyes when she heard the clattering of the buttons on the floor, an indication that what was happening was real.

'Yusei, what are you doing?' she asked quietly. She felt a pang of pain in her chest and head, but decided to ignore it because of the gravitivity of the situation.

'Shut up.' was his reply, grabbing her once more, but this time by her arm. He felt nothing when she whimpered and shivered due to his own actions. Compassion, sympathy, guilt,_ love_... they were absent. His heart was shut closed to nothing but anger and hate, nothing but the sting of betrayal and fidelity rushing through him.

He studied her torso, gritting his teeth when his eyes caught sight of bite marks. Her free arm covered her breasts, but he had seen everything he needed to. He let go of her roughly, fighting back the choking sensation at the back of his throat. He hadn't cried in a long time, and he wasn't going to start now. Not for her. 'Why did you do it?'

'What are you talking about?'

'Why did you do it?' he repeated, firmer and louder, getting hold of her left arm once more and tightening his grip on it.

'Stop! You're hurting me!' she screamed. Her voice shook with emotion, and her eyes filled with tears threatening to fall. She tried to break free of his grasp, but failed. He tightened his hold on her again, and she gasped in sharp pain. The headache grew worse, and her chest was beginning to feel like heavy lead. She felt the temperature in her body rise up, her vision blurring. But she didn't care. Even as he caused her intense pain, she wanted to continue. She wanted to know what was wrong, what she had done to get him so full of hate towards her.

'Answer me!'

'I don't know what you're talking about!'

He let go, crying out in frustration. He felt like a demon was inside of him, eating away at his soul. But he couldn't help it; he loved her, why couldn't she be honest with him? Why couldn't she be faithful to him? Could he trust her? How could he ever, after what he had just learned? The adrenaline rushed through him as he swung his arm across a table top, the lamp crashing on the floor into tiny shards. He cut his arm in the process, but he didn't care. Pain was nothing but weakness leaving the body.

'Are you alright?' that weak voice of hers rang, footsteps edging closer and closer to him. She extended her right arms, her fingertips brushing shoulder. Immediately, he smacked her hand away, turning to face her with emotions of hate and hurt.

'How could you sleep with another man?'

_How could you sleep with another man?_

She fought back the sick bile rising in her throat, letting the tears fall. She didn't understand why he would be angry with her for that. She had been forced, she didn't consent. Why was he acting like she was to blame, when she was so obviously the victim in that event? Did he dislike the fact that she was broken now, that she had absolutely _nothing_ to give him? So then he was outraged now that she was useless to him. She thought him a better person than that, and still did. She wanted to clear things up; she didn't want to lose him a second time.

'Why did you do it, Aki?'

'It wasn't on purpose, please listen to me. I-'

Was it hate? Was it frustration? Was it just on impulse? Whatever the reason, the damage was done. It was quick and painful, lasting only a millisecond.

The violated psychic duelist laughed bitterly, bringing her hand up to her swollen cheek. The tears flowed even harder. If she had stolen a glance at him, she could have seen that he regretted his actions. His mouth hung open, fixing his gaze on her and the hand he used to slap her shaking. He wanted to utter an apology, but his pride stood in the way. He strongly felt that he was the one who was wronged, who had his heart toyed with. If anyone had to apologize, it should be her. When he hit her, it felt like he was the one who took the blow. He still loved her, wanting only for her to love him back. But he also wanted someone who could make him happy. He didn't want a traitor, which was what she looked to him right now. It had only been a week, and this was what happened. As much as he didn't want to believe so, he was starting to think that the heavens were right to have kept them apart for so long.

'You're angry with me.' it was a statement, nothing more. She didn't even need clarification; she knew how infuriated he was with her. But why was he acting like this? Why can't he understand that it wasn't her fault?

His fury suddenly subsided with her words, aware that he hurt her in more ways than one. He didn't care what she did; he would still forgive her for such a thing, still be in love with her. But he had to drive her away. She had to find her own love, the one person she wanted more than anyone. She didn't love him; you can't cheat on someone you love. 'Aki, I got carried away. I'm-'

'Why are you angry with _me_?!' she screamed, facing him with eyes that broke his soul. But he stood his ground, trying to make her realize that what she did was wrong.

'You think that what you did was right?! Do you really think that cheating on someone is perfectly acceptable?! It's only been seven days, and already you jump another!'

'Yes! Yes, I did sleep with him! Maybe, in a way, I did!'

'"In a way"?! You don't think what you did cuts it?! What is your definition of "cheating", then?!'

'Why are you angry with _me_ because of a decision that _he_ made_ for_ me?!'

He swallowed, the realization of what had truly happened dawning on him. He didn't reply, he just waited for her to continue. Examining her more thoroughly, he could see that she had bruises on her flank and her collarbone. Black and blue marks covered her torso, like paint. The crystal tears that flowed down her face only added to his guilt.

'Aki.' he whispered, fighting back the choking sensation, reaching out for her with his hand.

But she didn't take it.

* * *

A/N: No people; it's OT, not M. I shall consider this rated M when I see a lemon in this. Which will never happen. Ever. Exactly. Which is why please stop sending pm's about a smex chapter. That's why I even disabled pm's.

Hmm... Any man, even a man as calm as Yusei, would lose his mind if he was led to believe that someone he loved betrayed him. Especially if it was his wife, or a lover. Yusei's reaction was very human, which I liked to pinpoint in this chapter; he makes mistakes, and he isn't perfect. Aki always had the idea that he was all good, that he could do no wrong; but she has to learn to accept him fully, as he does for her. The good _and_ the bad. The criminal marker does not affect his personality towards her, which is why to make the lesson of this whole fic clearer, I thought I had to go deeper.

So I made him go out in a fit of rage.

Thanks again, everyone, you guys are awesome and I wouldn't have made it this far without all of you!

Read and Review please!


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

'Aki, wait!' he chased after her, dodging branches.

She had slapped his hand away, standing up on her own and bolting out the door. He pursued her, amazed at how fast she really was. She lead them both to the deeper parts of the park, an area that would have been dangerous in the day, even more so now at night. He clicked his tongue irritably, worried. He could see a few cuts on her arms and face, clothing torn and a bit of blood, gashes from the branches. He realized with horror that they had thorns on them. No wonder she was hurt.

At least, physically. He knew that the pain in her heart was his own doing. When they had accepted each other as Signers and friends, he had taken that pain away. But now he had given it back tenfold.

'Aki!' he called again, finally catching up with her and grabbing hold of her wrist.

'Don't touch me!' she screamed, attempting to get free of his hold. But Yusei was a strong man.

Tired, he let go of her wrist but held her in front of him, hands on her shoulders. He nearly let her go, the look in her eyes devastating. It was not anger she felt, and he could see that. It was humiliation, pain and sadness. Tears flowed down her face, and she twitched from it stinging her fresh cuts. Her hands covered her torso, though careful not to touch him. Her legs were locked tightly together. She looked so hurt, so broken like that. All he wanted to do was hold her and ask for forgiveness.

But even he didn't think he deserved it.

_How could you sleep with another man?_

Those words kept playing in an endless loop around her head. It made her cry even harder, want to scream and break everything in her path. Unconsciously, she scratched her arms and neck, digging her nails in until she began to feel pain. She was tearing out her own skin, shedding that part of her that was so dirty.

'Aki!' the man who had once loved her, and who was probably now disgusted with her, shouted. He grabbed her wrists again and held them in place, careful not to squeeze too hard. 'Don't. What are you doing, why are you hurting yourself?! I'm sorry for what I've done. I didn't know, I acted on impulse! If you should be clawing at anyone right now, it should be me!'

'I'm dirty.' she whispered, trying to wriggle free.

Rain started to fall, cold water landing on her and adding salt to her wounds. It stung, it hurt, it was hell. It felt like she was dissolving, feeling pain but unable to say anything about it. Or rather, the pain was so great that she couldn't scream. Like a thousand needles pushing their way in her body, only to be accompanied by a thousand more. But still, she didn't show it. She didn't want anyone to see her pain; not her father, her so-called friends, and not even Yusei-not even the one she would still give her life up for.

And this pain meant that there were in fact wounds, that they weren't just marks. Soon, those cuts would be replaced by new skin, scars. Unpleasant, true. But not as dirty as the skin that was there before. Anything was better than what she had used to cause Divine so much pleasure. Beauty was only skin deep, but ugly cut to the bone. And to herself-and to the rest of the world, she believes-she's ugly. Ugly, ugly. And dirty, impure, a whore.

'What did you say?'

'I'm dirty. And ugly. I want to be clean, my skin is so dirty. Why should I continue wearing it?'

'You're not ugly.' he said sternly, cupping her face firmly and locking her eyes with his own. Her hands immediately brought up and tried to remove his from her face, weak and forced.

'Don't touch me.' she started, her voice choking up and her lips quivering. 'I'm dirty.'

He didn't know why, but he cried a bit with her. He kissed her again and again, quick kisses. She looked at him with intense sadness, his actions causing her more hatred towards herself. But she accommodated him, kissing him over and over. They could hardly breathe, but neither cared. They had been apart too long, rejoined by awful means and hateful news.

He felt his whole body surge with the urge to kill the man who did this to her. From the picture he had seen, it was that bastard of a psychic duelist. How could he, when she had trusted and loved him so much? He hated the thought of that... inhuman creature doing disgusting things to her, making her feel this way and driving her over the edge. She wanted to kill herself, she wanted to die. She thought of her own body as ugly and dirty. This state of hers; it was worse than when they had first met.

'Don't' she stopped him, sobbing and her voice filled with shakiness. 'I'm dirty.'

'No, you're not. Aki-'

'I am.'

'Aki, please.'

'You looked at me. You looked at me and you were angry. I must be dirty, you were so-'

'That's not why I was angry, I'm sorry. That was all my fault. I-'

'You didn't like what you saw.'

'At that time.' he admitted. 'But please. Aki, I'm human. I'm a man. I do stupid things, I assume and then I act on impulse. I'm sorry Aki, please. I'm sorry.'

'But you didn't trust me.' she pointed out, and this hurt them both.

'I'm sorry. I will, I promise I will. I'm not used to having a lover and this... This is just new to me. I'm sorry Aki. I'll do anything you ask of me. Please.' he was begging, pleading, wanting to be able to start and end his days with her.

'You can't. I'm damaged now. I-'

'What is it that you want? My dignity, my pride? I'll give it to you!' he asked, kneeling in front of her and his palms upward to prove his point. She just cried harder, not wanting to deal with anything she was going through right now.

'I can't do this now.' she choked. 'I can't look at you.'

'Agh!!' he screamed over and over, all fours on the ground and clutching soil. 'Why?!' he continued, his own tears spilling. 'Why did it turn out this way?!'

She didn't answer.

Nobody did.

* * *

A/N: I'm finishing this as fast as I can before I become happy. ._.; Really. If I'm happy, I can't write this. But it's a happy atmosphere, and I can't have than while I'm continuing this. ._.; Sorry! TT_TT

lol I won't make in time for the Couple Boost xD;

Hmm... I have nothing more to say.

Thanks again, everyone!

Read and Review please!


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

'Thanks a lot. For taking her in.' Yusei said appreciatively to the twins.

She had collapsed shortly after he screamed his pain out to the world. Perhaps it was too much for her to take in. She didn't want this to happen, nobody would. But in the end, in reality, it had. And there was nothing anyone could do to reverse the past. The damage was done; damage to their hearts, their very souls.

He didn't understand why she blamed herself for everything; but he knew he never would. He wasn't raped, he wasn't forced to give something up so unexpectedly. Least of all by the person who had taken him in when he had nowhere to go to. And he didn't like what was going on, what pain she was causing herself and the way she felt about her body.

'She's very pretty.' Yusei commented softly to himself, stroking Aki's cheek.

She just lay on the couch, limp and weak. She was unconscious, but tears were escaping her closed eyelids. Her hands were at her sides, fingers slightly curled. As if remembering something unpleasant, she moaned and gripped the fabric she lay on. Her eyebrows furrowed and her expression was pained, lips parting and contorting into what seemed like screaming. But there was no sound, not even a whimper. She started wriggling a bit and sobbing in her slumber, looking pained and in need of help.

But no one was attacking her.

'What's going on?' Rua asked, a little frightened.

'N-no...'

'Ms. Aki doesn't look very well.' his sister pointed out, hiding behind her brother who in turn hid behind the rather angry man.

'Stop!' she cried, adding kerosene to the fire that was burning inside of the man she was to marry. 'It hurts! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts...!'

'Aki!' the rather soaked Signer addressed, scared. He was scared of what was going to happen to the woman he loved, scared of how this would affect her for life. Being abandoned by your parents was one thing. But this was simply barbaric. Humans were supposed to rise above the food chain, but that bastard's actions just seemed like an animal in heat. When dogs mate, they do it for the preservation of their species. But people do it because they love each other, because it's special to them. He did it for neither. He did it because he could.

She stopped abruptly, leaning her head to the side and just continuing to cry her crystal tears. She looked like a porcelain doll, easily broken if not handled properly. And she was, in fact, handled brutally.

Silence filled the room, the children crying softly. They loved Aki, looked up to her like a big sister and even as a mother. It was hell to see her like this. They had already had their own parents leaving. They didn't want this one to go as well. And they could sense something was wrong with their father figure. He was full of hate, revenge. It was surrounding him, making one uneasy around him. Like he was some kind of monster.

'Rua.. Ruka... you once contacted Divine, isn't that right?'

They nodded.

'Give me the number.'

'Huh? But Yusei..' one started, about to tell him of the treachery they experienced when they had dinner with the said man. 'He released some kind of smoke, and then we got dizzy and then-'

'I don't care!' he shouted, surprising the two. 'Just give it to me!'

They did as was told, scared for their lives. They were children, they shouldn't be exposed to such things. But they had good intentions, and were willing to help at any given opportunity. However, the angry Satellite was careful not to expose them to too much. They wouldn't be able to handle it, handle a world where everything was ugly and barbaric.

He received the number on a piece of paper, and he stared at it for quite some time before storming into the kitchen. Looking for a phone, he moved things carelessly and recklessly, though not enough to break anything. This was not his home, after all. And he always respected things. Human or inanimate objects, he always respected them. Treated the with care. Unlike...

It rang maybe once, twice, before that snake-like voice picked it up. 'Who is it?'

He almost smashed the phone when he heard that voice. It was the voice of his lady love's assaulter, the voice of the one who deceived her. It took everything he had not to wish him death, let alone listen to his voice and remain calm. And so he vented verbally, threatening and becoming a snake himself.

'You know who this is. You know who I am.' he hissed into the phone, blue eyes filling with the need for vengeance. 'Listen up. You once hurt my fellow Signers when they were children. You manipulate people, make them believe you're their only hope. But now you raped Aki, someone I love dearly. You think you're crazy? I'll show you crazy, you son-of-a-bitch.'

He banged the phone down, slipping his jacket on and out the door.

He'd have his revenge. And soon.

* * *

A/N: Ah. I have nothing to say. x_X; I was just starting to feel happy and I was like NOOO I CAN'T! TT_TT So I had to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's again... lololol Moon River gets me every time ;~;I wuvs Audrey now ;~; TT_TT Weird, I finished two chapters in one day ._.;

Thanks everyone!

Read and Review please!


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

**  
**

'Divine!' Yusei shouted, purposely hitting the said man's flank with his D-Wheel.

'Fuck.' the older man cursed, banging his fist on the D-Wheel's front. He stood up quickly, regaining his composure. They stared at each other for a long while, cobalt blue meeting emerald green.

For a while, Yusei couldn't help but be a bit jealous of him. This ingrate was certainly suave, green eyes and auburn hair to contradict. His clothes were pressed, like he just came from the dry cleaner's. He was a neat and clean-looking man, which hid his true colors. He had an air of class around him, like he'd been spending his years sipping champagne and chardonnay whilst eating chocolate-coated strawberries by the dozen. And that's when he realized; this man was class, he was not.

He was just from Satellite, having to clean his own clothes from when he could walk. He usually only had two meals a day, and when he did, he'd have to get only a quarter of what a child truly needed. It was a humble combo of water and porridge, hardly giving him enough nutrients. Martha made his clothes from scratch, and he remembered designing them himself. He was scum, a lowlife. He didn't deserve Aki, the daughter of a respected senator. It looked like he was a gold digger.

But he loved her.

Still, was that enough? True, he'd have his job as a King that paid rather well. He had sealed the deal, made sure of it. Still, he'd have to duel a lot with very little notice. He'd have to leave her alone every so often, and look what happened when he left her alone for the first time. She needed someone to be there to protect her, and could he do that?

'You gonna run me over or are you giving me time to call the police?' that snake-like voice of the psychic taunted, trembling from the effort of standing up. That blow from the DWheel really shook him, made him realize that his life was truly on the line. If this were a duel, he'd summon his Mental Sphere Daemon and kick the scum's ass ten times over. But this was reality, with fists and bloodshed instead of cards and cuts.

In response, the more attractive of the two removed his helmet and got up from the vehicle, walking closer and closer to his hated enemy. When he had covered his desired distance, he grabbed the opposer by the shirt and brought his fist across the red head's face.

And so it started, a battle not with cards or disks but with fists and blood. It was strangely predictable, well composed. It was like they knew what moves the other was going to make. Red liquid mixed with bile, horrid punching and cracking bones. It was ugly and horrendous, sick and demeaning. But they continued, fighting for the same "prize".

'Do you really think she loves you?!' Divine shouted, bringing his knee up to the younger's stomach, watching in pleased fascination when he saw those cobalt blue orbs shut tight in pain.

'I know she loves me!'

'Was she the one to tell you that I made her scream?! Made her writhe in ecstasy?!'

'Say that again and I'll snap your dick off!' Fudo shouted back, pushing the other body to the ground, taking out the knife that he had hidden in his sleeve. He had taken it from the kitchen of the twins' place.

'Well?!' he continued anyway, smiling nervously when he saw the weapon's sharp glint. 'Did she tell you?!'

'Who cares? I fucking know now anyway.'

'I wonder why she was crying, then. When she supposedly "told" you.' he laughed.

The dark-haired man twitched a bit at this, remembering how roughly he had treated Aki. But then, he hadn't known about what had truly happened. He thought that she had betrayed him on purpose, perhaps was lonely. But...

'You're jealous of me.' he started, choking a bit when the knife was pressed to his throat. 'Because I got to her first. Because I took what was rightfully yours on your wedding night.'

'Shut up. Plus, I didn't know at first.'

'Even so, if you truly loved her, you wouldn't have torn her shirt off, looking for marks I had given her. You treated her like she was a dog who had disobeyed a command, or a child who had played in the rain even though you told her not to. You were angry because she lost the one thing that would have truly made her "yours". Because she's "mine". That's what's interesting about women, you see; we're all born virgins, but they've been given a barrier around them, told not to be touched unless they truly love someone, truly want to be with them. A husband.'

'Where are you going with this?'

Sentence after sentence, their voices went one octave lower.

'You lost it; the one thing that made her your property.'

'You man whore!' the Signer screeched, eyes widening with rage and humiliation. 'Do you really think that?! Do you really think that she's just a sex toy to me?!'

'Isn't she?' he laughed, but this time it was mocking, daring, challenging. 'Isn't she beautiful? Great breasts, a thin waist, curved hips, long legs. I can tell you that she's as warm as her skin is soft.'

'Shut up! Do you want to fucking die?! Do you want me to break every bone in your body?!'

'Don't you want her?'

'I do.' he finally admitted, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. 'That doesn't mean that I don't love her. I'm a man, I have urges I can't control. Or rather, I feel them, but I can control them. I will admit that when I learned that she was no longer a virgin by your hands, I was infuriated. How can I not? I protected her, promise myself to her. And suddenly some bastard takes her body and tortures her to no end.'

'She's damaged goods.'

'No, Divine.' Yusei said, only loud enough to hear. 'You might have taken her first time. You might have impregnated her. You might fathered her a son, making you her "husband", as you would put it. But I'll always love her. You can't change that. She's still as beautiful to me as the day we first met.'

'She probably doesn't love you anymore.'

'Just shut up.'

'If you'll never get to know, and maybe you're going to kill me anyway, you might as well know.'

'What?'

'She could make any man feel good... Like a bad girl should.'

'You son-of-a-bitch, I'm going to fucking kill you!'

But he couldn't.

He looked into those green orbs, and he saw past its cold exterior. He could see the many years of pain and suffering, of being abandoned by family, friends and society itself as a whole.

He imagined that this hateful man was abused and made to suffer, people laughing at his pain and calling him indecent names. Was he a servant, or was he a clown to them? But those eyes, he had seen them before, seen them in himself. Eyes of want, of needing something or someone to be there for him and love him, not a friend or a comrade; but a partner, a lady love. He just wanted a family, a wife and children. But to take it by force; that was something Yusei wasn't accustomed to; it was wrong and barbaric, and he hurt his fiance in the process.

'She screamed your name out the entire time.' that snake-like voice disappeared, turning shriveled and pathetic. 'She knew you were halfway around the world, but she still called for you. She kept crying out your name, telling me that you loved her no matter what. I don't understand. I gave her everything, showed her that I loved her every way I could. So I don't understand. Why could she love me back?'

'Leave.' Yusei said under his breath, standing up. 'Leave the country and never come back.'

* * *

A/N: No. I'm not going to let Yusei stain his hands with blood. That's just not who he is; he's always so kind, though he can lose his temper once in a while.

... Weird thing happened. I got a writer's block. (I mean, I knew what I wanted to happen, but I didn't know how to word it.)

And so I read my own fic. Yup. Yes I did. I read this fic of mine, and I cried. I never knew I could be so bitter. :[ I'm sorry, guys.

Thanks everyone!

Read and Review please!


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

**  
**

'Aki.' Yusei called silently when her eyes fluttered open, stroking her cheek and biting his lip in hurt when she immediately pulled away.

'What is it?' she asked, refusing to look at him.

'We need to talk.'

'About?'

'Us. About us.'

'There is no "us".'

His heart sank, but he didn't show it. He just smiled sadly at her, attempting to hold her hand. She pulled away once more, bringing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She looked so closed off from the world, back to her state of sadness and longing. Longing for a better life, longing for freedom. Even now, when he was just driven away, Divine held her down with chains.

'I love you.'

She just nodded, looking down and tiling her head slightly to the side. To her, she was alone and miserable; everything she heard were lies. Not too long ago, Yusei had been her one light, her only true saviour. But he, too, had seen her as an ugly creature, ascending from hell itself to haunt people and cause nothing but pain and suffering. Then laugh about it to herself.

She was worthless, serving as a comfort woman to another man and not even being honest about it in the first place. Maybe she truly was a slut, maybe she was just a play thing to men near and far. She didn't even understand what made her special; her face was stoic, nothing extravagant or worth spending the time of day with. She was ashamed of her own body, even more so now. She was stupid too, to believe that she could have a happy ending. That was dumb, a sad fairy tale.

What had she done to deserve one, anyway? What had she done to receive her very own happy ending? She was a monster in the eyes of all, even to herself.

'I just wanted you to know.' he continued, his smile disappearing.

'Stop it.'

'What?' he asked, looking at her with eyes full of concern, sympathy, aching, longing, love...

'Stop being so nice to me.' she said, her voice shaking and tears spilling out of her honey brown eyes. 'I can't bear it.'

'How could you even say that?' he laughed to himself, his hands trembling. 'I hit you, I stripped your shirt off of you, I made you unhappy. What part of that is nice? What did I do to deserve those words from you?'

'You keep saying you love me. Isn't that enough?'

'I keep saying it, but I can't show it. I try, but it backfires; I assumed you cheated on me, I should have thought better of you.'

There was a very long silence, neither wanting to make a wrong move. Their relationship... what was it? Should they have just stuck to being friends, should they have no shared kisses and sweet words? It was all going for a wrong turn, down the drain, metaphors of failure and hatred. He could sense that she was feeling emotions that she wasn't used to feeling towards him. He always knew that she thought high of him, so why oh why couldn't he have done the same for her? If he hadn't overreacted...

'This isn't going to work. We can't marry each other.' she whispered, burying her head in her arms, in her little shell.

He wanted to cry. He fought back the choking sensation at the back of his throat, smiling a bit despite himself. But it soon faded, his despair so great, so strong. 'You hate me now, don't you?'

'I don't hate you.' she started, lifting her head up and looking at him straight in the eyes once more. 'I just put too much hope and faith in you. I should have just not cared, like I did with everything and everyone else. I shouldn't have expected you to always come to my rescue; no disappointments. I shouldn't have expected you to always treat me kindly, despite the circumstances; no disappointments. I shouldn't have expected you to always listen to what I have to say; no disappointments. I should have realized that it just hurts so much less to just not care.'

'I'm sorry.' he muttered, pain fresh from her words. She loved him so much to the point of expecting everything from him. To her, he was perfect.

'No one's perfect.' she said, as if reading his thoughts. 'I know that. I just wanted you to listen to me. But if you don't trust me... I don't know what kind of future we can have. When I try to think of one; I'm blank, cryptic and empty. You can never be happy with me; I'm damaged.'

'That's not true.'

'There's too much drama around me.' she laughed, though tears were sliding down her delicate face. 'You had to deal with so much because of me; the Fortune Cup, my parents' relationship with me, Divine, Divine number two, and now Divine number three! It's kind of funny, actually... But you need someone who can give you everything you wanted, a girl who's everything you ask for. I'm not her.'

'And what if you are?' he demanded. 'What if you are that special someone for me, what if you are that woman I want to spend the rest of my life with? What if I want to please you, to make you feel the way you make me feel?'

'But look at how much pain you've gone through, being with me.'

'I can't just leave you just because I'm tired.' he argued.

'But you can't stay for me either.'

'You need me here.'

'This is your life. You don't need to do everything just for me.' she cried, trying to mask her tears and pass it off as just his imagination. But she failed, the sorrow she felt in her heart greater than she could imagine. She loved him, wanted to be with him forever. But if she truly loved him, she had to give up everything that made him sad; that included her.

'But I love you.' was his last point, and he forced his lips lightly upon hers. Her own trembled, but allowed him entrance anyway. Soon, she responded to his ministrations and guilt plagued her again.

'I make you sad. I make you want to leave. So leave. Please. If I know that you'll be happier.'

'You make me so happy, Aki.'

'Why? Why are you so nice to me?'

'From the day we met, and now... The woman known as Aki Izayoi has become a part of me, to which I must treat her kindly, just the way I want to. Because I love her, and want to make her feel the way she makes me feel; the sound of my heart racing, pounding in my ears, and the warmth that fills my whole body when I'm around her... around you.'

'You make me feel that way too. You make me feel like I mean something, like I'm worth something.'

'Let's stop this nonsense.' he grunted huskily in her ear. 'Tell me you love me.'

'I love you.' she obeyed, hands fisting into his hair when he kissed her with the manner of an animal. It was similar to how Divine treated her, but different in a way. It was because she trusted him to do anything he pleased with her, touch her and kiss her anywhere with her full consent. In fact, she returned his kisses with the same ferocity, smiling and laughing when he laughed as well. 'Yusei... we're going to be happy now, right?'

'Yes. Forever and ever.'

* * *

A/N: So close to the end! TT_TT I have to end this soon... And oh, how fast time seemed! TT_TT And again; shut up with the pm's asking about a sex chapter; It will never happen. =[ Really. Stop please. =[

Thanks so much guys! Over 100 reviews! I never expected this, to be honest.

Thanks so much everyone!

Just stick with me for a while longer!


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

**  
**

'Not pregnant.' the doctor said happily, aware of the full story.

'Wow.' Aki smiled, glancing at Yusei, who was smiling as well. 'Really? But is there anything wrong with me? Can I have children anyway? Is there something wrong with my body?'

'You got lucky.' the kindly doctor stuck her tongue out. 'It's fate; you're meant to have this handsome man's baby instead.'

Their smiles softened even more, their gazes on each other filled with love and caring.

The doctor cleared her throat, sensing an intimate moment. Blue eyes fixed themselves on the couple, flipping her waist-length brown hair before saying, 'I'll leave you two alone for a bit. Just leave when you're ready.'

The blue-eyed, handsome man patted his lap when the door shut closed, indicating for his wife to sit on his legs. She obliged, nibbling his lower lip playfully. In response, he wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck, pleased when he emitted giggles from her.

They had just married that morning, nothing special in preparation. They simply signed the contract, or certificate, and went on their way to the hospital to get her checked. She felt like a big weight was lifted off of her, knowing she could have her lover's child. He had made it clear that he would love her even she was carrying Divine's child, but of course he was even happier when he found out that she wasn't.

'Let's go home and celebrate.' she suggested, her eyes wide with excitement. He laughed. She was happy. He was happy. Everything was perfect.

* * *

'That was delicious.' he said enthusiastically, stretching his arms above his head and yawning.

'Yeah right.' she retorted, placing the dishes into the machine and washing her hands, seating herself on his lap once more.

'Hey.' he breathed silently, rubbing her back with his hand as she pressed the side of her face to his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. It always reminded her that he was alive and real, and that he had committed himself to her by his own free will. His hot breath on top of her head was another constant reminder, as was the warm skin pressed against hers. But her favorite was his heartbeat, and his was the her breathing, the steady up and down of her back under his hand. His other hand was entwined with hers, to their side. It was a beautiful picture, worthy of a pose in a painting.

'I want a daughter.' she said, attempting to start a conversation.

'I see.' he frowned. He hated this kind of talk, it was a very sensitive topic for both of them. He hugged her tight, lifting her chin with his finger so he could nuzzle his face into her neck, breathing in her scent. Her very presence made him the happiest man on Earth, the knowledge that she was eternally in love with him, and vice versa. Love was such a beautiful thing to him now. He always wondered why people wanted it so much. Now he understood; it's beyond pleasure or money; it's about two people giving their whole selves up for one another.

'I really want a daughter.' she insisted, tightening her grip on his hand and his shirt.

'I know, I know.'

'Yusei!'

'Ok! I get it. You want to look for one? I don't know a good adoption center, though.'

She pushed him away and shot him a disbelieving look. He returned it with a dumbfounded one, perhaps a bit irritated that she ended such a nice moment they were having. They glared at each other for quite some time, before she grinned and said, 'Meet me in the bedroom in fifteen minutes. You better be ready.'

He nodded, and she stood up, using the bathroom first. They were going to share the same bed together for the first time, and he was rather excited. He wanted to know how it felt like, having the warm body of the person you loved beside you whilst you slept, dreaming of dreams only available to the truly happy.

He chuckled to himself, glad that things turned out fine in the end.

* * *

'I want a daughter.' she said again, and he finally had the last straw.

'Fine. You want a daughter. I get it. Well, I want a million dollars. Hmm... Nope, guess I'll have to wait.'

The beautiful maiden just kissed his neck, her hand traveling up his shirt, much to his surprise.

'Oh my God.' he breathed, shutting his eyes, his heart threatening to punch out of his chest. 'Ok. Oh my God.'

'Give me a daughter.' she whispered into his hair, biting her lip to prevent laughter when she heard him chant "Oh my God." over and over again.

'Aki... Listen, don't do this if you don't want to. Don't feel like it's an obligation.'

Her sultry eyes studied him, thanking him silently for being so considerate. However, she truly wanted to do this, truly wanted to experience him. 'Make love to me.' she finally said, and he kissed her deeply, setting himself on top of her.

_Kisses raining..._

'I can't breathe.'

_Breath mingling..._

'Then... Don't.'

_Limbs entwining..._

'Don't leave me.'

_Throat tightening..._

'I'll never let you go.'

_Bodies melting..._

'Think of nothing but me.'

_Warmth piercing..._

'Why do men and women...?'

_Sweet pain diffusing..._

'I love you.'

_So this is what you want?_

* * *

_  
_

A/N: I made a cameo as a doctor here *shot* I want to cut my hair. I want it to be just above my collarbone, but no. Stupid family custom requires me to have it up to my waist, or lower. I can't even wash it on my own. Everyday, it's so annoying to wake up and bathe, except for your hair and dress up, then go to the Peninsula to have the French dude (Umm... Help? I can't remember his name.) wash and comb it for me. Oh lawd, and he styles me like his pet dog. I remember him tying it to a long braid, then when I took it out that night, my hair was wavy beyond belief.

To contrast, my brother wants to grow his hair, yet again family customs require it to be short and smooth. It's a problem for him, when agencies require him to have cropped up hair and such. And he hasn't been working out lately. Lol I can't wait to poke fun at him when his abs disappear. He worked himself halfway to death to get that way; he used to have a problem with food, eating habits a bit hectic. But now women swoon at the sight of him. Ew.

I can't help but rant, I'm infuriated. My brother keeps pulling my hair. I would sucker punch him, but he got out of surgery too damn it. Eh, it's only appendicitis but he makes it look like he got AIDS or something. Drama... Dude.

And I completely failed during the last segment. TT_TT

Anyway, there's one last chapter before this ends. Just stick with me for one last hurrah, guys!

Thanks so much!


	18. Final Chapter

* * *

**Final Chapter**

* * *

**  
**

'Good morning.' Aki said softly, stroking Yusei's cheek and smiling radiantly.

They had married yesterday, and like all newly weds, they had a rather... _passionate_ night. A night wherein two seperate beings became one. He had rejected his several offers in America, not wanting to be away from her. He simply pursued his career in Neo Domino City. After all, duelists around the world would come to him, not the other way around.

'Good morning to you too.' he replied, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He remembered last night's events, the moonlight covering both their bodies. No, they were one body that night, now and forevermore. He felt so many emotions that time... so did she. Was it the same, for someone who did it for money and pleasure? 'I feel lazy right now.'

'Let's talk, then.' she responded, gazing up at him and placing a hand on his chest. In turn, he let one arm let go of her, the other holding her head and gently pushing it closer to his neck.

'Ok. Let's talk about the future.'

'The future?'

'You're pregnant, after all.'

She looked at him questioningly. Last night was their first one spent together. She didn't even have morning sickness. He had nothing to base his statement on. But he was usually right, even with his guesses. She still found it intriguing, how he could say such a thing. What got into him? She would most definitely like to know. 'We don't know that yet.'

'Really? _I _do. You're pregnant.'

'What makes you say that?'

'I was once told.' he started, smiling and lifting her chin so that the two gazed into each other's eyes. 'That if you really love someone when you make love, it's a sure in to have a family. Last night, nothing existed except for you and I. I really love you, Aki. I'd do anything for you. We'll have children, I'm sure of it.'

'You really want to have a child with me?'

'The true question is; do you want to have my child?'

'Yes.' she replied, pressing her bare body against his. He was always so warm, so strong. It made her feel safe, secure. She ran her fingers lightly over his chest muscles, wondering how he could have gotten so buff. She knew he worked day in and day out on his D-Wheel, and she doubted there were gyms in Satellite. She couldn't imagine him using another man as a punching bag, either. Then again, he did have TV, so maybe he watched those body building programs? She laughed silently at the idea of Yusei watching a guy like Himuro doing poses on the beach. She used to ask herself if he was naturally tan, or if he sunbathed. She knew from last night that it was all in his genes. She wondered if all men were like him, or if he was just special. She chose the latter. 'Well, start talking.'

'Hmm. Ok. Enough family planning. It drives me insane.' he laughed. Actually, it did make him feel like he just entered the seventh circle of hell. But not in a bad way; a good way. Now he had to work a hell of a lot, and he was sure that he'd have his quarrels with his wife and maybe even their child. Well, actually, obviously. If the kid inherits Aki's bad temper. Which he found adorable.

'Ok. What was the first thing you noticed about me?' as she asked this, she rested her elbows on either side of his shoulders so that she was on top of him. She stared down at him with that expression of hers; that interested, curious, innocent expression.

'Your fragile state.' He was more than happy to answer her. In fact, he wanted to ask her the same thing. He stroked her cheek lovingly, letting those intense blue eyes burn into hers. His other hand caressed her spine, letting his thoughts wander for a bit. He knew from last night that she was soft, but not fat. She lacked any trace of flab whatsoever, yet she wasn't muscular or anything. It was his turn to wonder if she'd been working out, but that theory went down the drain. If she did, she would have a six pack to get this hourglass shape of hers. It also intrigued him how she was pale all over her body, the only color being her flushed cheeks. He wondered if all women were like her, or if she was just special. He chose the latter.

'Fragile state?' she repeated, her bangs falling over her face and flowing over her collarbone.

'When I first met you at the Daimon Area, you were so afraid of me. You ran away from me as soon as you saw my birthmark. And your whole form at the time, even up to now, is so fragile. Your hair was a mess and your mask hid so many secret. Your dress was wrinkled as well, worn and ragged. But you were still so elegant, not only to me. The men would say that they feared you, and perhaps they did. But there were some that stayed and looked at you in horror, but in fascination as well. Your clothing covered everything. That is, except your fingers. Even so, that small exposure of skin was enough to make any man stare at you with want. I honestly don't know why that's the case. You're like a porcelain doll, easily broken if not taken care of. Then the first thing I thought when I saw you was "Beautiful." I wanted you.'

He stopped for a moment. 'Then at the Fortune Cup, I saw your face, your body, when you passed by. You glared at me with hard eyes, but it was still so beautiful to just be able to look at you. And then you cried in front of me. The thought that I was the one who made you cry filled me with so much resent towards myself. I wanted to hold you, to tell you that it's alright. But then..' he shook his head. 'You were the first one to look at me. Me and only me. Not me and the mark of a criminal. And then I didn't just want you. I fell in love with you.'

She traced her fingertips on the hollow of his neck as if to show her gratitude. She continued to gaze at him longingly. He really was handsome, his skin so warm and tan, eyes a smoldering cobalt blue which were accentuated by his dark hair. He was well built, too. She used to feel so weak and miniscule compared to him, but he always made her feel special. He always made her feel beautiful, inside and out.

'What about you? What was the first thing you noticed about me?'

'Your kindness.' she stopped because of him holding her wrist, him bringing her hand near his lips so he could brush his lips over it. 'In the Daimon Area. You had a criminal's mark, but you were so different from all the men I've faced, even though I had only seen you for a brief moment. I knew, because there were children around you. Three, to boot; Rua, Ruka, Tenpei. Even an old man, Yanagi, was beside you. So many people were standing in order to follow you. No one would follow a cruel leader. And so I just knew. And then the Fortune Cup happened. I forced myself to hate you, but it didn't work. You made me cry because you never gave up on me. I hurt you on purpose. You were trying to make me think. You were trying to make me love. You were trying to bring me back to life. And it hurt. Because at that time, me being a "witch" meant I could never be with you. There was Divine, but he had tried to get me to stop thinking, to stop loving. He was trying to kill me. And you were the first one to look at me, and not see a witch. Divine himself had seen me as a witch and because of that, he wanted to use me. But you saw me for me.'

He placed a hand on her waist, the other caressing her face. She in turn rested her head on his chest, her arms around his neck. They stayed like that for a long time, nothing existing except for the other. The horrors and trials that have blocked their passion for one another were now merely walls that have been destroyed. There was nothing holding them back now.

'I love you.' they whispered in unison, a deep kiss to seal their love.

So happy, so content... So joyfully in love!

**Fin**

* * *

A/N: This story is for my father, I love you and forever will. I hope to see you again in heaven, daddy.

I had intended for this to be for the Couple Boost, but I'm a retard, go turn off my brain. xD I'm very sad that I had to end it, but a bit relieved as well. Now I can focus on my other stories, that are basically abandoned or put little effort into. xD; Or I could start a new one... *shot* xD;

As for a sequel, guys, sorry, but I won't make one. =( I will, however, do another YuAki story.

Thanks, everyone, for making my first fic such a success~!


End file.
